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Promotion news: welcome back, Betis!

Real Betis have won the Segunda yet again and make another return to the Primera.

Segunda: As a Sevilla supporter commented, it really is rather typical of Betis that the record they hold is for most promotions to the Primera, but still, it's always something to celebrate.   Their 3-0 win today over Albacete guaranteed their promotion.

Betis has only lost once in the Segunda since the beginning of 2015, and their veteran strike force of Ruben Castro (32 goals) and Jorge Molina (19) has powered their success.

The other automatic promotion place will go to either Girona or Sporting Gijón.  Girona play away at Mallorca, a completely dysfunctional team at the moment, before hosting Lugo in the last match of the season.  Sporting host Sabadell, fighting against relegation, before ending the season at the Villamarin against Real Betis side who should ialready be champions at that point.

Either Girona or Gijon will be joined in the promotion playoffs by Las Palmas, Valladolid, and probably Zaragoza.  Some biggish names there.

The relegation battle is interesting because at the moment Barcelona's second team are at the bottom of the table, after a 4-3 loss to Las Palmas (Joan Roman--remember him?--scored twice for the Baby Blaugrana.  They are on 36 points; Sabadell 37, Recreativo Huelva 38, and Osasuna and Racing 41 each, and Tenerife 44.  Sabadell play Osasuna and Recre host Barca B in the last round, by the way.

If recent experience is any guide, the order of the relegation places could be really important since it's always possible a club could be relegated for administrative reasons even though they were above the relegation zone.

Segunda B:  30,000 people saw Real Oveido and Cadiz play to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their promotion clash.   A smaller crowd saw Huesca and Nastic Tarragona draw 0-0 in the other playoff.  (The return legs are next weekend).  The winners gain promotion to the Segunda, the losers drop into a group of eight clubs that will contest a knockout tournament for the other two promotion places.

Athletic Bilbao's second team is the only filial bidding to make it to the Segunda this time, and they lost 2-1 away in the first leg of their playoff.  As for teams from Villarreal B's group, Reus lost 1-0 away, Hercules drew 1-1 at home, and Huracan Valencia drew 1-1 away.

Tercera: Castellón lost 1-0 away to Linares Deportivo in the first leg of their championship final.  Again, the loser isn't out but falls into a group of 36 teams that play off for nine remaining spots. (The winners of the nine championship finals take the other nine).  The second leg of this matchup will also be played next weekend.